Motion capture: Stream animations directly to Unity with Marionette

At Marionette Mocap, we believe that high-quality animation should be accessible to everyone, from indie creators to established studios. That's why we've developed innovative markerless motion capture software that integrates seamlessly with your favorite 3D tools, including a powerful free Unity plugin. Our goal is to democratize motion capture, making complex animation workflows simpler, faster, and more affordable.

Forget expensive suits, complex hardware, or the limitations of cloud-based systems. With Marionette Mocap, you can transform ordinary video into production-ready 3D animations, all processed locally on your computer. And with our dedicated Unity plugin, you can stream your motion capture data directly into Unity and preview your edits in real-time, revolutionizing your animation pipeline.

What is motion capture and why is it essential for animators?

Motion capture, often referred to as mocap, is the process of recording the movement of objects or people and translating that data into a digital format. Traditionally, this involved actors wearing specialized suits with markers that were tracked by multiple cameras. While effective, this method is costly, time-consuming, and requires dedicated studio space.

The beauty of motion capture lies in its ability to bring lifelike realism and efficiency to animation. Instead of painstakingly animating every frame by hand, animators can capture natural human movement and apply it directly to 3D characters. This not only saves immense amounts of time but also results in more authentic and nuanced performances, making your characters feel truly alive.

The evolution of motion capture: From markers to markerless AI

The field of motion capture has evolved dramatically over the years. Early systems were bulky and expensive, limiting their use to large film studios and game developers. However, advancements in computer vision and artificial intelligence have paved the way for markerless motion capture solutions like Marionette Mocap.

Markerless motion capture eliminates the need for physical markers or special suits. Instead, it uses AI algorithms to analyze standard video footage, tracking human movement and converting it into 3D animation data. This technological leap has made motion capture significantly more accessible, allowing anyone with a video camera (even a smartphone!) to create professional-grade animations.

At Marionette Mocap, our AI-powered markerless technology operates entirely locally on your Windows 10 or newer PC (with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 745 or newer GPU). This means you retain full control over your data, with no need for cloud credits or concerns about privacy. It's a game-changer for independent creators and small studios looking to integrate high-quality motion capture into their workflow without breaking the bank.

Unlocking real-time animation with the Marionette Unity plugin

One of the most exciting features of Marionette Mocap is our free Unity plugin. This powerful integration allows you to directly stream motion capture data from our software into your Unity projects. Imagine seeing your captured animations applied to your 3D characters in Unity, in real-time, as you refine them in Marionette Mocap. This capability drastically speeds up your workflow and enhances your creative process.

The Marionette Unity plugin is designed for immediate feedback. As you make adjustments to your motion capture data within the Marionette Mocap software, those changes are reflected instantly in Unity. This real-time previewing is invaluable for animators, allowing for quick iterations and precise adjustments without constant exporting and re-importing.

Key features of our Unity plugin for streamlined motion capture

• Direct Streaming: No more manual importing. Stream your body, face, and hand motion capture data directly into your Unity scene.

• Real-time Preview: See your animations play out on your Unity characters as you clean and refine them in Marionette Mocap.

• Control Rigs: Easily control your existing Unity character rigs with the streamed motion data, ensuring perfect alignment and natural movement.

• Faster Workflows: Significantly reduce the time spent on your animation pipeline, freeing you up to focus on creativity.

• Free Access: The Unity plugin is completely free to download and use with Marionette Mocap.

This integration is especially beneficial for game developers, virtual reality creators, and anyone using Unity for real-time projects. It transforms the often-tedious process of animation into a fluid, interactive experience. Discover how easy it is to get started with our tools by checking out our get started guide.

Beyond Unity: Our full suite of motion capture features

While our Unity plugin provides incredible real-time capabilities, Marionette Mocap offers a comprehensive set of features for all your animation needs. Our software is built to handle complex motion capture tasks with ease, ensuring you get production-ready results every time.

Comprehensive body, face, and hand motion capture

Marionette Mocap captures the full spectrum of human movement. From subtle facial expressions to intricate hand gestures and full-body actions, our software extracts high-resolution data from your video footage. You can even capture multiple people simultaneously from a single video source, making group interactions and complex scenes much easier to animate. This robust motion capture capability allows you to bring nuanced performances to your characters.

AI-powered cleaning tools for perfect results

Raw motion capture data can sometimes contain noise or imperfections. That's where our intuitive manual and AI-powered cleanup tools come in. We understand that not all captured motion is perfect, which is why we offer powerful features to refine your animations. Our tools support a traditional post-to-pose workflow, allowing you to fine-tune every aspect of your animation. This ensures that your final output is polished and ready for production, maintaining the highest quality for your motion capture.

Flexible export and integration options

Once you've captured and refined your animations, Marionette Mocap provides flexible export options to fit your workflow. You can export your animations in standard formats like FBX (Mixamo standard), GLTF, or GLB. For users of other popular 3D software, we also offer powerful plugins for Blender and Maya, enabling direct streaming and control rig integration similar to our Unity plugin. This versatility ensures that Marionette Mocap fits seamlessly into your existing animation pipeline, regardless of your preferred software.

We are constantly evolving our software. Our current Marionette Mocap Version v33.6 was released on Sept. 19, 2025, bringing even more powerful features and refinements to your motion capture experience.

Who can benefit from Marionette Mocap?

Our vision at Marionette ApS is to democratize motion capture. This means making our powerful tools accessible and affordable for a wide range of creators:

Whether you're an indie animator like Joey Lombardi, a 3D animator at Guerrilla Games like Peer Lemmers, or an animator and actor like Alex Overby, Marionette Mocap empowers you to create stunning animations efficiently. Monika Oller, a 3D animator at Tato, also praises our tools for speeding up her workflow.

Affordable plans to suit every need

We offer flexible plans to meet various requirements:

• Free Plan: Get started with motion capture with a 3-second export limit and up to 30 seconds of DCC copying per month (with unlimited previews).

• Indie Plan: For creators with revenue less than $100k/year, our Indie plan costs just $12.50/month when paid annually. This plan offers extended capabilities and Discord channel support.

• Studio Plan: For more demanding professional use, the Studio plan is $29.99/month when paid annually, including chat, email, and phone support.

We also run an affiliate program, offering a minimum 10% revenue share on every new subscription. For example, a $149 Indie annual plan could earn you $14.90 for the first billing. It’s another way we support our community and expand the reach of accessible motion capture.

How to get started with Marionette motion capture and Unity

Ready to revolutionize your animation workflow? Getting started with Marionette Mocap and our Unity plugin is straightforward:

1. Download Marionette Mocap: Visit our download page to get the latest version of our software. Remember, you'll need Windows 10 or newer and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 745 or newer GPU. (Note: AMD or CPU-only support is not currently available).

2. Install the Unity Plugin: Follow the instructions within the Marionette Mocap software or on our website to install the free Unity plugin.

3. Capture or Import Video: Use any standard video camera to capture your movements, or import existing video files into Marionette Mocap.

4. Process and Stream: Let our AI-powered software process your video. Then, with a few clicks, stream the motion capture data directly into your Unity project.

5. Animate and Refine: See your characters come to life in Unity in real-time. Use Marionette Mocap's cleaning tools to perfect your animation.

It's that simple! We are committed to making motion capture accessible to everyone, and our continuous development ensures you always have the best tools at your fingertips.